Winter Fun in Denver 

One of the things that we love about Denver is all the wonderful things to do year-round.

For you holiday lights lovers, there are fun things like the Denver Zoo lights, the Blossoms of Light at the Botanic Gardens and the 9 News Parade of Lights.

Of course, the Colorado Ballet is performing the Nutcracker over the holidays, which usually gets us in the spirit!

Don’t forget the Polar Express train ride at the Colorado Railroad Museum, which is a great time for the kids.

For the adults in the crowd, CU South is hosting Movie and Martinis, where you can drink your stress away and watch Christmas Vacation with your friends.

These are just some of the fun events in Denver this holiday season. For a complete list, visit the folks at Denver.org here.

Denver Housing Downturn?

All good things must come to an end. Or at least that is what we have heard.

Most of you probably have not-so-fond memories of the 2008 housing downturn. Hard to believe that was over 10 years ago.

It hit us hard, but as you can see from the graph above, we have rallied as well as any market in the United States….so what now?

Many experts have speculated on what might happen in hot housing markets like Denver‘s.

The folks at Redfin published a great article about housing bubbles and the likelihood of a downturn in the near future.

Fortunately, Denver is outside of the top 10 areas to be concerned with, but that doesn’t mean we are out of the woods.

To learn more and to see the cool interactive chart, visit the full report here.

Holiday Coping Skills

We have covered some fun things for you to do this winter, but what about those of us that get stressed at the holidays?

We read a study that 45% of Americans would prefer to skip Christmas entirely.

Nearly a quarter of Americans reported feeling “extreme stress” come holiday time, according to a poll by the American Psychological Association. Holiday stress statistics show that up to 69 percent of people are stressed by the feeling of having a “lack of time,” 69 percent are stressed by perceiving a “lack of money,” and 51 percent are stressed out about the “pressure to give or get gifts.”

So how do we cope?

We found a nice list from the folks at the Mayo Clinic (they are super smart) here.

Our favorite site that we found is chock-full of tips about how to beat the holiday doldrums. They cover everything from mindfulness to healthy boundaries. We found it useful and it can be found here.

Here’s to a low-stress holiday season this year!!

Green Living this Winter

By Guest Columnist Frances Black

When the thermometer plummets, challenges abound for keeping your green-cleaned house environmentally friendly. In Denver, where the weather changes in an instant, these challenges are amplified. A few steps can help

1. Be window wise. During the day, open curtains on south-facing walls to let in the warmth. At night, close them. Consider using thermal curtains.

2. Chill out. When you’re asleep or away, lower your thermostat 10 to 15 degrees. A smart thermostat makes this easy.

3. Plug the leaks. Caulk and weather-stripping stop heat loss from doors and windows. Don’t forget to look for leaks around utility cut-throughs, chimneys, and recessed lights.

4. Service your system. Clean your furnace or boiler and replace filters now. Keep flues and wood-burning fireplaces clean. Close the damper when not in use. Purchase grates of C-shaped metal tubes to circulate the fire-warmed air. Shut the doors and lower the thermostat to 50 and 55 degrees.

5. Drain the sprinkler system. Denver’s lawn watering restrictions are in effect from May till October. But a frozen pipe can send water gushing into the street, resulting in a fine and wasted water in the winter. Turn the sprinkler system off and drain all pipes.

For more tips, download the Energy Saver Guide. Going green this winter can save you a lot of green in the long run.

Monthly Award Winners

Please join me in congratulating our best performers for October 2019.

Our top Cleaning Associates for the month were Aurora Dominguez, Maria Zapata, Josefina Puga, Josefina Quinonez and Paz Jimenez.

In the Team Leader ranks, our top Team Leaders were Rosa Chavez and Socorro Ibarra.

Thanks to all our team members for their hard work, and a special thanks to our award winners!

Congrats ladies!

Queen Bee Corner

by Angela

At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon it seems to me that Thanksgiving is losing its pride of place in our holiday roster.  It’s but a shadow of its former self; more a stepping stone to Christmas than a stand -alone celebration.

Granted, the traditional Thanksgiving didn’t incur a lot of spending, which may have made it less exciting. Basically, food and travel, which I always equated in my mind with family.  Food plus travel equals family gathering.

Black Friday has shifted closer and closer, impinging on the long languid feast and after dinner nap in favor of – once again – spending.

I see a future where we just grab a turkey leg at the courtyard in the mall and keep on going.  Until then I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving!!

Bee